Koyasan and Kumano Kodo

THE OLDEST PILGRIMAGE TRAILS IN JAPAN

For over 1000 years, pilgrims and Buddhist monks have been walking the paths of Wakayama Peninsula to some of Japan’s most sacred shrines and temples in search of the purification of the spirit.

Koyasan is one of the major monastic centers, created twelve hundred years ago by Kobo Daishi, the founding monk of the Shingon Buddhist sect. Nearby, the ancient region of Kumano, another spiritual heart of Japan.

Both places are immersed in the green mountains of Wakayama Prefecture with stunning scenery, rural villages, and spectacular onsen.

MTJ offers you the opportunity to visit the two sites, both UNESCO World Heritage, for an unforgettable experience in the deep religious traditions of ancient Japan.

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4 Days/3 Nights

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Travel program

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DAY 1: MOUNT KOYA

  • Departure from Osaka to Koyasan, a complex of Buddhist temples and shrines.

    Visit Okuno-In, the most sacred place in the area. The vast cemetery houses the mausoleum of Kobo Daishi nestled among hundreds of tall cedar trees in a unique and charming atmosphere.

    Meditation and Buddhist writing (Sutra) are some of the incredible experiences one might live in this mystical place. Dinner and overnight in Koyasan will be at the monastery.

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DAY 2: FROM KOYASAN TO KUMANO KODO

  • Departure for the Kumano Kodo region and its ancient pilgrimage paths, the spiritual heart of Japan.

    Accommodation in Kawayu Onsen, a geologically unique spa town along the banks of Ota river. Here you will experience a thermal bath in full contact with nature, with clouds of steam rising between the green slopes of the mountains.

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DAY 3: KUMANO HONGU TAISHA

  • Departure to Kumano Kodo Nakahechi, the “Imperial Way” of Kumano Kodo pilgrimage paths, which leads to the three great Kumano Sanctuaries.

    We walk along a beautiful rocky path through green mountains from Hosshinmon-oji Gate to Fushiogami-oji, visiting Kumano Hongu Taisha, the main shrine of Kumano Sanzan.

    Afterward, departure for Katsuura Onsen, a picturesque harbor town.

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DAY 4: KUMANO NACHI TAISHA

  • Visit the highest falls of Japan: Nachi Falls, a mystical place where Buddhism and Shintoism harmoniously coexist. Nearby, the Seiganto-ji Buddhist Temple with its distinctive red three-story pagoda and the Great Shintoist Sanctuary of Kumano Nachi Taisha.

    This wonderful adventure on Japan’s ancient pilgrimage paths comes to its end returning by train to Osaka.

Photo Credit: © JNTO • © Wakayama Kanko • © Kumano Hongu Tourist Association